Reality of war sinks in

Gulf War veteran who served in the Air Force describes his experiences to middle school students.

August 5, 2007|By Marcia Freidenreich Special Correspondent

Sawgrass Springs Middle School students got a special history lesson when the eighth-grade interim principal told them about his experiences in the Gulf War in 1991.

"Freedom is not something that is free. Freedom has a price," Thomas Howard, a U.S. Air Force veteran, told the students. "Since the Revolutionary War and continuing into the present, hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost so that you can enjoy the freedoms you have today."

Thomas told students he had witnessed the reality of war.

"It's not just an old movie you see on TV. I saw friends killed in roadside bombings. Many of the people who are called up to war are just out of high school, 18 or 19 years old, not that much older than you are now."

The presentation was organized by Larry Bremner, who teaches U.S. history to eighth-graders at the Coral Springs school.

"I wanted to use Memorial Day as an opportunity, for the kids to know it's not just a day off from school; it really means something important. To listen to a veteran speak brings to life the things they've only read about in books," said Bremner. "I want them to have an appreciation for those who served in the past, and those who are currently serving."

"To hear people talk about first-hand experience in the war is incredible," said Kelvin Medina, 14, of Coral Springs.

Shannon Kelley, of Margate, agreed. "It makes me feel really proud when I think about all the sacrifices people went through over the years so our country could be free."

FOR THE RECORD - CORRECTION PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2007.An article on Page 3 in some editions of Sunday's Community News section incorrectly reported Thomas Howard's military affiliation and the military base where he was stationed. Howard was in the U.S. Air Force during the Gulf War, stationed in Homestead.